Build Affiliate Program

Build an Affiliate / Referral Program

Two flavors: peer referrals (give-get) and creator affiliates (commission). Both work for iOS.

Peer referral (give-get)

User invites friend, both get a reward.

Reward types

• Both get 1 month free Pro
• Both get $5 credit
• Friend gets 50% off first month, you get 1 month free

Implementation

1. Generate unique code/link per user

   • Backend: referrals table with (user_id, code)
   • Code: short readable: YOUR-REFERRAL-CODE
   • Link: https://yourapp.com/r/YOUR-REFERRAL-CODE

2. Friend taps link

   • Goes to landing page (use universal links to deep-link into App Store with referral code preserved)
   • Or: "Continue in App" + Smart Banner

3. Friend installs app

   • Use Branch.io OR AppsFlyer to track install attribution
   • Or: deferred deep link via Apple Search Ads attribution API
   • Friend signs up, code auto-applied

4. Reward both

   • When friend converts to paid (or completes first action), credit both accounts
   • In RevenueCat: extend trial / grant entitlement programmatically

Tools for tracking install attribution

DIY paste-board trick (no SDK needed)

Web landing page:

jsCopy code
navigator.clipboard.writeText('REF:YOUR-REFERRAL-CODE');

App on first launch:

tsCopy code
import * as Clipboard from 'expo-clipboard';

const onboarding = async () => {
  const text = await Clipboard.getStringAsync();
  if (text?.startsWith('REF:')) {
    const code = text.slice(4);
    await applyReferralCode(code);
  }
};

Works without SDK, no install attribution provider needed. Limitation: user must consent to clipboard read on iOS 14+.

Creator affiliate program

Influencers / YouTubers send traffic, get % commission.

Why it works for iOS apps

• Creators love $$ for content they'd post anyway
• Higher trust than ads
• Permanent backlinks (videos stay up)

Build it

1. Affiliate signup page (your marketing site)

   • "Join our affiliate program" form
   • Capture: name, audience size, channels

2. Approval flow

   • Manual at first (review each application)
   • Issue unique tracking link to each

3. Tracking

   • Each affiliate has unique code
   • Track conversions via RevenueCat metadata or your own backend
   • Use first-party attribution (Apple Search Ads attribution API + your code)

4. Commission structure

   • 30% of first year revenue (standard)
   • OR $X per paid signup (simpler)
   • Pay monthly through an owner-approved payout provider → affiliate's bank

5. Affiliate dashboard

   • Show clicks, signups, paid users, earnings
   • Build basic version in Notion/Airtable + zapier first
   • Upgrade to Tolt / Rewardful / FirstPromoter at scale

Tools

• Tolt — $39/mo, best for SaaS with subscriptions
• Rewardful — $49/mo, integrates with Stripe (use if you have web tier)
• FirstPromoter — $49/mo, similar
• Roll your own — Notion + Airtable + Zapier for first 20 affiliates

Apple App Store + affiliate considerations

• Apple Search Ads has its own attribution API; can pass referral codes through
• App Store Connect doesn't support affiliate links directly
• For non-paid acquisition: use universal links → your landing page → install

What works best for iOS apps in 2026

1. Peer referral with give-get of 1 month free both
2. Creator program for top 5 niche YouTubers in your category
3. App Store CPP (Custom Product Pages) per major affiliate so attribution works visually

Common pitfalls

• Reward too small → no one shares
• Reward only for the inviter → friend has no reason to convert
• Attribution too lossy → can't pay affiliates accurately, they leave
• Manual payouts that take >2 weeks → affiliates churn

Pair with

• add-deep-links (universal links setup)
• custom-product-pages (CPP per affiliate for tracking)
• add-posthog-rn (track funnel: click → install → trial → paid)